Curiosity did not kill the cat -- by Jane Kelley

 

I was curious about the origin of that phrase. So I bravely looked it up, hoping that curiosity wouldn't kill me either.

The first recorded use was by Ben Johnson who put it in a play. Then Shakespeare put it in one of his plays. But guess what? The phrase was: "Care killed the cat."

In those days, care meant worry and fret. Now the phrase makes much more sense! Worry causes stress and stress contributes to all kinds of horrible health issues like inflammation and hypertension and insomnia.

Guess what is a cure for worry? For me, whenever I start to fret, I do a little research. Understanding the situation eases my concerns. Sometimes the situation is larger than I can control. (I'm looking at you, problems of the world!) Then my research can be a distraction. Just like when Arthur was worrying about something so Merlin turned him into an owl. 

I am curious about why that phrase got twisted to its opposite. But that topic is too long for this blog. I will say that instead of condemning curiosity, we should celebrate it. It is what's best about humans and many other animals like octopuses and cats. 

This picture is of me and our cat Blackberry. Curiosity didn't kill her.  She died in 2019, peacefully at home. It was winter so she had to be temporarily buried in a snowbank. Are you curious about what happened to her after the snow melted?

Jane Kelley is the author of many middle-grade novels that encourage readers to learn new things. Her latest novel is GRACE AND THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT.